Food product and method of manufacturing and preparing the same.



UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

WILLIAM B. GERE, DECEASED, LATE OF SYRACUSE, NEW YORK, BY ANNAIBEL B. GERE AND ALFRED H. DURSTON, EXECUTORS,

ASSIGNORS TO MERRELL-SOULE COMPANY,

OF SYRACUSE, NEW YORK, A CORPORATION OF NEW YORK.

FOOD PRODUCT AND METHOD OF MANUFACTURING AND PREPARING THE SAME.

No Drawing. Original application filed February 1,

filed June 2, 1916.

To all whom it may concern:

. Be it known that we, AXXABEL B. GER}: and ALFRED H. DL'RSTON. citizens of the United States. and residents of Syracuse. in the county of Onondaga and State of New York. executrix and executor, respectively, of the last will and testament of IVILLIAAL B. Gran. deceased. late a citizen of the United States and resident of Syracuse, county of Onondaga, and State of New York, do here- .of the separate substances are uniformly distributed throughout the mass. and preferably this is accomplished by homogeneously incorporating one substance in the particles of another substance; or, in other words, in which 'the particles constituting the compound food product are a homogene ous mass of the two substances in proper distribution. and is a division of copending application. Serial No. 5,199, filed February l. 1915'. for food products. a

The basic idea of this invention centers around the compounding of milk for food products with sugar and cocoa. in such a manner that the resultant product in powdered form, preferably containing less than three per cent. of moisture, presents the component substances in exact distribution adapted for long preservation in any climate and readily soluble in liquids.

Milk powder produced by the process set forth in Letters Patent granted to Robert Stand, No. 666,711, and which may be called the spraying process is termed soluble, and when properly mixed with water or other suitable liquid and thoroughly beaten i-n-by means of suitable heaters or, other devices will enter into complete solution, forming a reconstituted milk, and in the sense that the Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Mar. 13, 1917.

1915, Serial No. 5.499. Divided and this application Serial No. 101,245.

powder is susceptible of such complete solution the term soluble is properly applied, but it is obvious that the term soluble so far as it relates to the rapidity or ease with which the substance enters into complete solution, is a relative one and that the term is applied to milk powder produced by the spraying process to distinguish it from milk powder produced bycontact with heated surfaces or rollers, which powder is not soluble in or capable of entering into complete solution with cold water, but when. mixed with hotwater and thoroughly stirred or beaten. it will for a short time retain an apparent solubility, but if allowed to stand unagitated for any considerable amount of time, there will be a heavy precipitation showing that the solution is not complete, and one of the objects of this invention is to cause the soluble'milk powder produced by the spraying process to more readily and easily enter into the state. of-

Upon breaking up these balls or masses. the

interior portions are found practically per fectly dry, the particles of milk massing together in such 'amanner as to prevent penetrationof the fluid.

Complete solution of which the powder is susceptible is dependent upon contact of the fluid with the separate particles of the milk,- and necessitates a particular and careful treatment.

'illiam B. Gere discovered that by combining with this milk powder a substance readily soluble in water and which enters into solution practically automatically upon con tact with the fluid or with a relatively small degree of agitation. the dissolution of this substance tends to prevent the massing of the particles and causes the dissolution'of the less readily soluble milk powder, the extent to which this is accomplished depending largely upon the uniformity of distribution of the two substances.

By this process, not only is the milk-rendered readily soluble in fluid, in itself an advantage not heretoforeattained, but a new product as. a homogeneous compound of two or more separate substances is obtained.

The process consists essentially in compounding the separate substances in desired proportions in asolution so that the relative distribution is exact and uniform, and in reducing the liquid compound to powdered form by the process set forth in said Staufl' patentthat is, by bringing the liquid in finely divided condition into moistureabsorbing air so that the liquid constituents are substantially completely vaporized, the resultant powder containing less than three per cent. of moisture and being a homogeneous mass of the substances comprising the product.

A quantity of liquid milk may be taken and a quantity of cocoa or chocolate and a quantity of sugar, (either cane, beet 01' malt sugar in accordance with the product desired), equal inweight to the solids of the milk may be dissolved therein or any other desired proportions of the substances may be used and the compound may be reduced to powdered form in the manner above described, by vaporizing substantially all of the liquid constituents, so that the product combining the separate substances in uniform and exact distribution contains a very slight amount of moisture, such amount, in case skim milk is used, preferably not exceeding three per cent. and in case cream is used, not more thanone and one-half per cent., and in case whole milk or partially skimmed milk are used, the moisture content should preferably be reduced as low as two and one-half per cent, and in using cream the moisture content may advantageously be reduced as low as one-half of one per cent, the preferable amount varying with the percentage of butter fats contained in the milk,'for it has been discovered that although the keeping quality of the product depends upon various correlated conditions, yet one of the most important of these is the moisture content.

lVhen this product is placed in hot water coffee, tea, etc., the sugar prevents massing of the particles, and the rapid dissolution of the sugar upon contact with the liquid breaks up the particles of the product, and the specific gravity of the sugar causes the immersion of the particles which are rapidly and minutely subdivided by the dissolution of the sugar, so that the milk in very minute quantities is subjected to the action of the liquid and rapidly (particularly if slightly agitated) enters into complete solution.

The substances may be combined in various proportions and the milk, as above indicated, may be either skim milk, whole milk or cream, or any other desired proportion of the butter fats or other constituents of the milk. This milk may be pasteurized or condensed in any suitable or well-known manner before dissolving the sugar therein or mixing the sugar therewith, and the liquid mixture may be heated before spraying to facilitate the vaporization of the moisture constituents.

As an example, it is found that by forming a liquid mixture consisting of substantially 15% cocoa, 45% sugar and 40% milk solids, and reducing the same to powder, as hereinbefore described, a product is produced which combines the milk, sugar and cocoa in uniform and homogeneous distribution and which is readily soluble in water, and when dissolved produces an excellent beverage without the addition of any substance except water.

By cocoa as used int-he claims hereof is meant any substance-{p nch as commercial cocoa or chocolate, derivatives of the cocoa bean irrespective of whether the cocoa butter has or has not been separated from the product.

lVhat we claim is 1. A soluble food product in powdered form consisting of substantially dry spherical particles comprising homogeneously distributed milk, sugar, and cocoa.

2. A soluble food product in powdered form consisting of substantially dry spherical particles comprising homogeneously distributed milk, sugar and cocoa in which the natural properties of the solids have not been altered.

3. A soluble food product in powdered form consisting of substantially dry spherical particles comprising homogeneously distributed milk, sugar and cocoa in substantially the following proportions; 40% milk solids, 45% sugar and 15% cocoa.

i. A soluble food product in powdered form consisting of substantially dry spherical particles comprising homogeneously distributed milk and cocoa.

5. A soluble food product in powdered form consisting of substantially dry spheri 

